Loose-leaf binder.



time, besides additional expense.

Nef. 730,160.

` UNITED STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOOSE- LEAFBINDEFL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters' Patent no. 730,160, dated .Tune 2, 1903.

Application flied August 27,1902. serai No. 121.255. ',(Nomofiei.)

To a/ZZ wir/ont it may concern:

Beit known that I, GUsrAv ADOLF Ronnnn, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Oolumbia, Canada, have invented anew and useful Loose-Leaf'inder, of which the'following is a specication.

My invention relates to an improved clasp for loose-leaf binders, and is designed to confer the advantages of greater adaptability to the varied requirements of commercial books of this class, with greater simplicity of construction and consequent cheapness. In all binders of this class with which I am acquainted the several clasps or devices by which the loose leaves, are retained form an inseparable part of thecover or back of the binder, so that if a particular business requires a special form or size of leaf, as is veryV frequently the case, the order cannot be supplied locally, but must be forwarded to the manufacturer, causing a considerable loss of This may be considered an advantage from a manufacturers point of view, but is entirely objectionable to the purchasing public.

My object has been, therefore, to design a binder-clasp which is'complete in itself apart altogether from the covers, to which it may or may not be attached, but which do not in any way form a part of my device, being merely secured to the loose leaves for the protection of their edges by my clasps inthe same manner as the leaves themselves are held together, except where it is especially desired to more permanentlysecure the clasps to the covers when suitable means are provided for doing so.

The construction and application of my clasp is fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the drawings which accompany it. r

Figure l is a perspective view of my clasp complete; Fig. 2, a vertical section through the clasp on the line au in Fig. 4, showing its relation to the loose leaves and their cover; Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line b b in Fig. 4; and Fig. 4, a loose leaf in plan, showing the application of two clasps.

In the drawings the loose leaves to be bound are indicated by L and their covers by C.

The clasp itself consists of two main parts,

a lower or baseportion 2 and a correspondving .upper portion 3, between which the leaves are gripped. Toward one end of the base 2.

is an upwardly-projecting tubular member 2,

iirmly secured to the base, and toward the.

other end is secured an upwardly-projecting pin 2, the cross-section of which is the shape of one half of the punched apertures in thel loose leaves and their covers. The upper portion 3 is similarly provided with'a downwardly'- projecting member 3, adapted to slide within the tubular part 2 of the base,

and also a downwardly-projecting pin 3b, the

cross-section of which forms the other half of the punched apertures in leaves and covers.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the correlated parts 2 3 are outside of the back edges of the leaves and `their covers, while the half-` section pins 2b and 3b are inserted in the punched apertures in the .cover and leaves, andthe plane of the division-j oint of the two half-pins being parallel to the top and bottom edges of the-leaves and the sections turned in opposite directions in each clasp, as shown in Fig. 4, the leaves are effectually held against end movement on the half-pins.

I prefer to have the pins 2 3b removably secured in the plates 2 and 3-say with a screwthread-so that they may be changed, if required, to suit the Various shapes of aperture, whether circular, square, oval, or tri- In order that the spring 5 may not projectA beyond the surface of the back to scratch or catch anything the book may be laid on, it is set within a groove or depression 4, and the member 3, slidable within 2, is shaped to conform to this depression. The corners and edges of the base 2 and its corresponding upper part 3 are carefully rounded with the same object of avoiding scratching, and in IOO this form the clasps form a handsome attachment to a good cover.

Vithin the tubular member 2 and bearing against the lower end of 3 is a coiled comliression-spring 7, or two, if found necessary, to facilitate the removal of the upper portion on releasing the detent 5.

It will be seen that my clasps form a simple, neat, and efficient substitute for the more or less complicated, expensive, and inconvenient binders at present in use; but the important feature of my device lies in its adaptability to any cover, as they are not constructed as parts of the cover, but as removable attachments thereto. They may thus be applied by a local bookbinder to any special shape or size of ledger or accountbook which may be required, to the covers of which, if so desired, they may be secured by pins or rivets, for which the holes S are provided in the parts 2 and Ilaving now particularly described my invention and the manner of its application, I declare that what I claim as new, and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is-

1. A binder of the class described, comprising a pair of opposing clamping members, having overlapping back portions working, one within the other, a leaf-penetrating pin on each clamp member, said back members having a longitudinal depression, and an automatically-actuating means for interlockin g the said opposing clamp members, located and opera-ting within the longitudinal depression in the back pieces, said locking means including a spring member fastened to the outside of the depressed portion of one ofthe back members and having a lug to engage with depressions in the other back member, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

2. A binder-clasp as described, comprising an upper and a lower vertically-slidable member, a penetrating pin, detachably secured to each member, said pins opposing each other and having their adjacent or contacting portions reduced and formed with sliding surfaces, the combined cross-section of the reduced portions of the two opposing pins having the shape of the perforation in the leaves designed to be held by the clasp and means for interlocking the upper and lower members to their adjusted positions, said locking means including a spring member fastened to the outside of the depressed portion of one of the back members and having a lug to engage With depressions in the other back member, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a binder-clasp as described; the base portion 2, having the pin 2b removably secured thereto and the :flattened tubular member 2, the corresponding upper portion 3, having the pin 3", and the member 3 to slidably engage the similar members of the base portion; the spring-detent 5 5*; the plate 4 having notches 6; and the compressionspring 7.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUFTAV ADOLF ROEDDE.

XVitnesses:

ROWLAND lnirrAiN, RICHARD I3. \VARD. 

